Bassett Healthcare Network and Springbrook have partnered to open a new school-based health center at The School at Springbrook. The Marian & Paul O’Brien Medical Clinical Suite at The School at Springbrook will provide more convenient health care to residential and day students who attend the GEMS Program, Tom Golisano Center for Autism and Kids Unlimited Preschool—all part of The School at Springbrook.
For more than a decade, Springbrook has worked closely with clinicians at the pediatric clinic at Bassett Medical Center who have provided medical oversight for residential students of The School at Springbrook. However, there was interest in establishing a school-based health center on-site, year-round, to provide health services to residential students and a growing number of day students from local communities who attend The School at Springbrook and Kids Unlimited Preschool.
Springbrook is a state-licensed nonprofit organization that supports more than 1,000 people with developmental disabilities from across New York State. The School at Springbrook operates two distinct programs—The GEMS Program and the Tom Golisano Center for Autism. The school is located on the organization’s 200-acre main campus, between Oneonta and Cooperstown, and supports students who range in age from seven to 21 years old.
“The new school-based health center continues the great relationship we have had with Bassett’s Department of Pediatrics and will expand our long-standing clinical services to all students at The School at Springbrook,” says Kathy Ramiza, PNP, Chief Clinical Officer at Springbrook. “The expanded services, including primary care, sick visits, neurology appointments and enabling parents to request appointments, are a great opportunity for Springbrook to enhance the support we provide to students and their families. For children with chronic illnesses, the center will also help to minimize the number of hospitalizations and emergency room trips. We’re very happy to continue working with Bassett to be able to support all of the students who attend The School at Springbrook.”
“While this is a different concept, because The School at Springbrook is a residential and day school, it’s definitely wonderful to be able to put into place the school-based health center concept of providing health care for students right where they live and attend school, as well as day students who attend the school,” says Philip Heavner, MD, FAAP, Bassett chief of pediatrics, who has provided oversight of the medical care offered at The School at Springbrook for a number of years.
The Marian & Paul O’Brien Medical Clinical Suite at The School at Springbrook will provide services that include primary care, immunizations, and sick visits. A pediatric neurologist, Julia Holtmann, MD, will be available for consultations. Anne Pawlowski, FNP, will join Dr. Heavner to provide on-site medical coverage.
A reception celebrating the opening of Bassett’s 21st school-based health center—The Marian & Paul O’Brien Medical Clinical Suite at The School at Springbrook—will be held on Nov. 15 at 4:30 p.m. at The School at Springbrook. Those interested in attending the reception should call 607-286-7171, ext. 271 or email Michelle Murdock.
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About Bassett Healthcare Network
Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600 square mile region in upstate New York. The organization includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, 21 school-based health centers, two skilled nursing facilities, and other health partners in related fields. Bassett Medical Center, the foundation of the network, is a 180-bed acute care inpatient teaching hospital located in Cooperstown, NY. To learn more about services available throughout the Bassett Healthcare Network, visit www.bassett.org. Follow Bassett on Facebook and on Twitter.
